Answering the Call: God lit the Fire
By Joshua Richardson
In my sophomore year, my mom heard about the Angleton Junior Fire Cadet program. I was immediately interested. I always felt called to help others, and this was an excellent way to see if my interest in firefighting aligned with the reality of it. I had to write an essay as part of the application, which made me a little nervous since writing is not my favorite subject. My parents and I also had to attend an interview at the station. The interview was for me, and my parents had their questions answered. I became even more excited as I learned more about it. My parents loved that the station clearly believed in parental authority and that, in their station, it was God first, then family, and work third. I learned a lot about firefighting, but also about teamwork, ethics, and integrity from the wonderful men and women I had the opportunity to train under!
Some departments offer the Junior Fire Cadet program throughout Texas. My experience has only been with the Angleton Junior Fire Cadet program, and I’d love to share a little about it. The program is dedicated to both serving the community and raising the next generation of firefighters.
Throughout the Cadet program, our mentors and Cadet Officers help instill in themselves and in the other Cadets good morals, good habits, and skills that will benefit everyone in the future
In my sophomore year, my mom heard about the Angleton Junior Fire Cadet program. I was immediately interested. I always felt called to help others, and this was an excellent way to see if my interest in firefighting aligned with the reality of it. I had to write an essay as part of the application, which made me a little nervous since writing is not my favorite subject. My parents and I also had to attend an interview at the station. The interview was for me, and my parents had their questions answered. I became even more excited as I learned more about it. My parents loved that the station clearly believed in parental authority and that, in their station, it was God first, then family, and work third. I learned a lot about firefighting, but also about teamwork, ethics, and integrity from the wonderful men and women I had the opportunity to train under!
Some departments offer the Junior Fire Cadet program throughout Texas. My experience has only been with the Angleton Junior Fire Cadet program, and I’d love to share a little about it. The program is dedicated to both serving the community and raising the next generation of firefighters.
It consists of meetings, training, both concepts and hands-on, leadership opportunities, teamwork skills, and far more. Cadets attend department meetings, participate in Public Relations (PR) events, respond to fires and other emergency calls at the Fire Officers’ discretion, and assist on the scene under the supervision of officers. The Junior Fire Cadet program offers teens the opportunity to serve and lead in their communities and instill good, long-standing habits for the future.
The Cadet Program is structured just like a normal Fire Department. It’s governed by the program’s Constitution and Bylaws, as well as SOGs, and a board made up of members of the Department. The Cadets are led by mentors who lead everything the Cadets do. Under them are the Cadet officers, one Captain, three Lieutenants, and one Secretary. Under them are the rest of the Cadets. No cadet is better than another, but Cadets who hold Officer positions have more responsibility as they lead. Every year, elections are held to vote in new Officers so that everyone can sharpen their leadership skills. This is one of the many ways the program better teens and prepares them for the future.
I was privileged to be voted in as Captain for 2.5 years before I aged out of the program. I’m humbled that my fellow cadets trusted me enough in that position. It was an excellent opportunity for me to learn leadership within a safe environment.
Training is a crucial part of the program. Cadets learn the basics of first aid training in the fire service: practicing identifying injuries, signs of illness, and how to treat and call for medical assistance. These skills give cadets a taste of the medical side of the job. Cadets also go through CPR training and certification, AED training and certification, and stop the bleed training and certification. One of the events we did while I was a member, in tandem with our medical training, was to attend an EMS base. We got a tour of the base and observed the medical equipment on the RA units. We talked to the EMS crew on duty and gained valuable insights about what EMTs and Paramedics do. We also visited the LifeFlight base in the area. We spoke with the pilots and medical crew about their jobs and how to get into LifeFlight Academy.
Physical training, also known as PT, was a big part of our program, as you can imagine. Staying physically fit and strong is important because the job requires us to move or handle heavy equipment and run, jump, climb, lift, carry, pull, drag, and push objects and or people. Training differs depending on the night and who is available to lead the exercises. Some of that training was basic or intense workouts, or fire operational training, pushing our bodies and minds to the edge to ultimately make us better firefighters. This kind of training takes basic tasks we may do on call and turns them into obstacle air consumption drills, helping us sharpen our minds and making us more efficient on fire calls.
Running calls with firefighters is fun, but some dangers come with that. That’s why there are safety measures in place to protect the cadets on calls. When the tone drops, we get to work! Cadets start truck checks and check around the trucks before leaving the station. We throw on our gear and roll out. I had the opportunity to get on the radio and notify dispatch that we were en route to the emergency. As we headed to the emergency, we helped the driver navigate the roads by pulling up the location of the emergency, watching traffic, and calling out cars that may not see the emergency vehicles approaching. I specifically remember one of the calls I went on: There was my company’s Captain and I in the engine. We got to the scene, and he asked me to deploy the fire hose on the front of the truck. This was not a usual cadet task, so I felt honored because it meant I had enough training and practice that he was confident in my ability to deploy and operate the hose.
The most important thing we are taught as Cadets is that our safety is our top priority, because if we aren't safe, we can't help anyone else
The most important thing we are taught as Cadets is that our safety is our top priority, because if we aren’t safe, we can’t help anyone else. I’ve taken that piece of advice with me throughout my time in the fire service. These little pieces of knowledge have helped me so much as I advanced through the fire service, making me a better, safer trainee firefighter.
Throughout the Cadet program, our mentors and Cadet Officers help instill in themselves and in the other Cadets good morals, good habits, and skills that will benefit everyone in the future.
Teamwork: the ability to work as a team with others of all backgrounds.
Honesty: being honest and truthful about what you did and didn’t do.
Humility: not being a know-it-all. Being able to be teachable and not puffing ourselves up.
Leadership: demonstrating the characteristics of a servant leader, being willing to get your hands dirty and work alongside your firefighters under you.
Accountability: holding each other accountable for our actions and keeping track of everyone’s location for the safety of all. Each of these skills and attributes is a characteristic of good firefighters.
The Junior Fire Cadet program is an excellent program that enables young people to be ready and equipped for the future to serve their communities. From the classroom to emergencies, the program is interactive, skill-building, team-building, relationship-strengthening, and safety-enforcing, a way to raise the next generation of firefighters. At the Angleton Fire Department, our Cadet program adopted these words from Colton Joseph Myers, which now stand as the Angleton Junior Fire Cadets’ Mission Statement: “To provide the youth of our community an opportunity to learn about the fire service. Through teamwork and dedication, we strive to improve our lives. To achieve academic excellence and to conduct ourselves with honor, integrity, and dignity. We will enrich our lives and our community while learning and bettering ourselves.”
I graduated from the Fire Cadet Rookie School through the Angleton Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter a week after I graduated from high school. I’m now volunteering at our local fire department in Jones Creek. I’ve enrolled in the EMT course at our local community college, and I’m also studying hard for my next fire testing for a career as a firefighter. I’m excited to see where God takes me next!
Joshua Richardson
Joshua is a recent homeschool graduate, volunteer firefighter, and college student.
When he isn't putting out fires he is adventuring on his family's Texas homestead. From South Africa to Canada to Texas, he’s put down roots deep in the Lone Star State.
With 6 brothers, 1 sister, and a heart for serving his community, there’s never a dull moment in his life!
God has opened incredible doors for him already.
This article first appeared in the Fall 2025 (September) issue of Texas Homeschool Magazine.
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